With the NBA and NHL looking like they will both resume play in late July, Major League Baseball is facing some real uncertainty as we enter the second week of June. The biggest issue of not having a full season is the player salaries. MLB owners are expected to talk again Monday via conference call to discuss the options.
Previously, the owners rejected the players’ proposal of a 114-game season with player salaries being paid on a pro-rated basis. The owners countered by finally agreeing to pro-rated salaries — they previously had balked at this with the plan involving no fans at games — though they reportedly only want to play somewhere in the range of 40-60 games. The players, for their part, continue to hold fast that they will not accept less than pro-rated salaries. The only leverage they have left if the owners try to push through a 50-game season is rejecting expanded playoffs — which the owners desperately want for those almighty TV dollars.
There’s going to have to be some give on both sides. The players want at least a half season. The owners don’t. Perhaps they end up somewhere in the ballpark of 70 games with expanded playoffs. Hopefully both sides realize the long-term health of the game is at stake and they cannot cancel the season in the midst of everything going on in this country right now. At the time of this story MLB did propose a 76 game season with a 75 percent pro-rated salary to the players during that conference call today. The regular season would end on September 27 and the postseason would end at the end of October. It is uncertain at this time of whether this will be accepted by players and owners.
